Life Passion and Business

Epi 29 What is Authenticity with Paul Harvey and Lisa Avery

What is authenticity and what does it mean to be yourself? Why is this important for emotional, psychological and even physical health?

Should we try to be ourselves at work? Should our work and identity stay separate or should they perfectly entwine?

Are we happier when bringing our full selves to work? If so, what are the first steps to take and what is the path to finding a deeper sense of meaning, purpose and happiness in our work and lives?

In this episode Lisa and I continue on our quest for self-discovery and growth, endeavouring to answer age-old questions with the latest research from positive psychology.

We'd love to have you as travel companions, so please come along for the ride here:

Ep28: Kevin Breeding The Entrepreneur's Mentor, Author, and Speaker

My guest on the show today was scheduled weeks back, however, due to numerous issues at both ends, it was postponed until now.  But that is the thing I notice the right guest seems to show up at the right time.  

 In every podcast, there is always an open question when I asked Kevin his answer almost encapsulated my new thinking and purpose for this project.  Listen to this man; people pay him a lot of money to be coached or hear him speak. None of it is rocket science, but like any worthwhile journey, it takes effort and commitment to do the process. 

 Kevin started out in the corporate world and served 25 years in marketing, advertising, in senior-level positions with some of the largest brands in the world.  Household name  Walmart,  American Airlines and BMW

Currently, he is an entrepreneur's mentor and coach, consultant, author, and speaker. The path chose him, but I am jumping ahead of the story.

 Kevin's life blew up with divorce and bankruptcy within a few months of each other. It was his journey out of the dark place that gave him the tools to feel good about himself. 

 

Using his experience as the model and his corporate experience Kevin became an executive coach. Since then he has worked in 53 countries and currently serving clients on five continents, Kevin dives deep to uncover roadblocks, operational inefficiencies, and leadership needs.

 

There is a lot of value here, I hope you enjoy the conversation with Kevin Breeding.

 

 

LP&B 27: Work and Vocation with Paul Harvey and Lisa Avery

On this podcast, we are looking at the difference between work and vocation. So when you hear the word "vocation" what does it mean to you?

For me, it brings up images of nurses doctors, police officers or firefighters. These are the roles that are considered beneficial to society and more than a job.

Looking at the word in the dictionary, and we find the following.

A strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation, a person's employment or main occupation.

It can also be described as. 

Vocation work or an activity regarded as worthy and requiring dedication, a trade or profession.

It is all about the meaning we give to our work or pastimes. In this programme, we will look at vocation, and how finding yours will impact on your life.

It doesn't necessarily mean the work that you do. However, we spend so much time working it would be good to find a role that feeds us

Vocation could just as easily be a hobby or volunteering in your community something that you enjoy outside of the work environment.

It is time to explore

Episode 26: Frankie Fihn Speaker, Entrepreneur and Master of the Mystical Arts

I am always looking for entertaining guests and spend much of my time exploring LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. However, sometimes people approach me, and that's how it was with Frankie Fihn.

We met on Facebook; he is a marketing connection. While I did not know his full story, there was something in what he was saying that caught my interest. Like many of my connection, he seemed to have the ideal life of travel and exotic location.

I went straight into this recording without any preconception, and I have to say it may trigger you as it touches on the use of an illegal substance Ayahuasca. Full disclaimer here as this is by no means an advocation of its use. However, it is a fascinating story.

Frankie Fihn is outwardly successful, he is a well-known speaker, entrepreneur and by his description a Master of the Mystical Arts. He operates a coaching and consulting business for lawyers and builds creative marketing systems. He has a laptop lifestyle allowing him to travel and experience the world with his partner.

However, since his exploration of life through Ayahuasca he looks at the worlds through a different lens. He calls himself a shaman in his coaching uses intuition and vibration to work with people on a different level.

The entrepreneurial life is held up like a chalice, and in reality, it is difficult. Frankie helps his clients express and release fears, frustration and self-sabotage. He helps them to bring more colour, vibrancy and meaningful connections in their lives, all while increasing their business and personal freedom.

It was a great conversation as you will hear Frankie had a real perspective on the big questions of success, passion, and the meaning of life.

I hope you enjoy the conversation with Frankie Fihn

 

Episode 25: Geoff Burch, Hells Angel, Business Guru and Truffle Hunter

My guest on the show is Geoff Burch; I had seen Geoff speak at a business event some years back. I sent him my usual guest request email, and unusually he picked up the phone and called me to say. “ Yes, let’s do it always up for mischief.”

The following ten-minute conversation had me crying with laughter. If that happened in the program, I had wondered how I would hold it all together. There was nothing to worry about Geoff was a great guest, and the show is worth a listen.

Geoff Burch is a best-selling author with six books to his name; he is a business guru and a successful speaker.

 

He started his working life driving bulldozers, went to art college in a terylene suit, became a hells angel and at some point, stared to buy and sell businesses. He owned a scrap yard, a paper mill and a haulage company to name but a few.

 

By his admission, he is the original cynic calling himself a “miserable bastard”. In truth, he is a natural storyteller, and the cynic is part of the story.  His skill is the ability to create humour from any situation even his near-death through open heart surgery.

 

He can take a serious business message and delivery it using memorable stories and characters. It has led to a radio shows and television appearances, books, conference keynotes and after dinner speaking.

 

Geoff is naturally funny and cannot help but make jokes. During our conversation, we hear him describe his journey as a happy accident. How he met his wife. We get the answer to those big questions and how he survived the last year leading to surgery, which nearly killed him. He also reminds us that he still wears the secret Hells Angel ring.

 

I hope you enjoy the conversation with Geoff Burch

Episode 24 Growth, Change and Dreams

What does it mean to grow, and why is growth the only route to happiness, meaning and success? But to grow, we have to change. That is something most people fear. It's scary and can be painful. But why is it so frightening? What can we do to overcome that fear and pursue our dreams? And what if we don't have a dream? How can we get clarity and create a compelling vision? Are we more motivated to pursue pleasure or avoid pain?

In this podcast Lisa and I use positive psychology and our personal experience as we take the next step on our journey to becoming our best possible selves and creating work, relationships and a life aligned with our authentic selves.

Episode 23 Dorota Owen the Teacher, Facilitator, Speaker and Leader

My guest on the programme is Dorota Owen she is an inspiring leader and equally at home speaking to a conference, delivering a keynote or teaching a class of teenagers. She is a teacher, and that is her first love, the inspiration of people, and there is no better place to start than in schools and with children.

I had known Dorota since I move to Scotland 14 years ago when she welcomed my family as we met her through schools and other groups. I will always remember her capacity to lift a room as she entered. I got to know her better as a Toastmaster. It was there I saw her leadership capacity and watched her skills develop taking on more prominent roles in the environmental movements and sustainability.

Dorota is still a teacher, facilitator, speaker and leader and while teaching is her first love, she also likes to travel. So she chooses to mix it up by travelling speaking and teaching.

I have not seen here much in recent years, as our kids have grown and she travels a lot.

This interview was the result of a chance meeting, and between trips, I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Episode 22: What is Happiness? with Paul Harvey and Lisa Avery

Welcome to the first podcast in the series that is about bridging or crossing the gap between you and the big life questions. We are starting big, going for broke and looking for an answer to the question that everyone wants.

Happiness.  You have got to be happy.  Are you happy? Happy birthday.

There are so many happiness references in society, and society assumes all things should lead to this end. This word is so powerful it was even included in the USA constitution. It is something we all seek and there are so many roadblocks and life situations that get in the way.

So what is it about?

In this show Lisa and I explore happiness through a positive psychology lens, using a framework which goes by the acronym PERMA.

There is more to happiness than you think, and the good news is that are measures we can take to boost our sense of happiness and meaning.

This show was recorded using the Facebook live platform. You can attend the live shows or watch the videos in the facebook group.  Life Passion and Business. Please click the link and join the group. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the show

 

The next LPB show will be an interview recorded live face to face on my sofa with an amazing women. But more about that on Tuesday 5th June.

Episode 21 Stuart Mason Printing in the Attic to Fast Cars and Helicopters

My guest on today's programme is Stuart Mason a local connection for me but not that I knew it at the time. We met on Linkedin as I do with most of my business connections. I was great to discover that he lives just a few miles from me and so we met at the local Costa to see how we might work together.

When I heard his story, I realised that he would be a potential guest for the programme and he said yes.

Stewart left school in the 1980s with limited qualifications, he was running a business from his parents' attic and making more money than he father. "Who needs exams?"

It turns out that he did, as getting into the RAF without them was challenging but not impossible, but it did prevent him from flying.

You will hear how stated a business 1990 and ran it very successfully for over 20 years while driving fast cars and flying helicopters. The financial crash came in 2007/8 and put an end to it all.

I think you need to listen to the Story to find out what happened next. But here returned Lossiemouth and brought with him a successful business coaching practice. He has also returned to his printing roots setting up "The Moray Business Store." offering various printing and web services. The printing business dovetails together well with his coaching skills

In our interview, he explores what went wrong with his print company and how he sees the same mistakes in the business he supports.

Stuart speaks well, and I am sorry that the audio recording is not the best all the same I hope you enjoy our conversation.

 

If you would like to connect with Stuart you can find him at 

The Moray Business Store 

Linkedin 

 

Episode 20 Paul Harvey & Lisa Avery Bridging The GAP

At the beginning of my podcast journey, I was looking for answers. If you have been following the show, you will know my questions are always the same, passion success and meaning. Where do those feelings come from more to the point where do they go. How do people bring those qualities into there daily life and business?

Over the last five months, I have gained some answers and insights, but there is more to explore, and that adventure is the reason for the new weekly show co-hosted by Lisa Avery. It is part of a series of programmes and a Facebook group where together we will be exploring our journey, providing tools and support for you to do the same. We are looking to bridge the gap between where we are to where we want to be.

I realised early in the shows life that all of my guests had certain things in common they were taking risks, they were making life changes, and in the process, they were discover the answers to these big questions. It was after the interview with Lisa Avery ( episode 9) that I realised the possibility was open to everybody. Following lots of conversation with Lisa the decision was a BIG yes for working together, we can help people bridge the gap.

Welcome to episode 20 it is our first co-hosted programme and I guess it more showreel. It was our opportunity to set the plan and create a map for what is to come over the next few weeks.

 The actual show will be recorded live using the Facebook platform. You can attend the live show or watch the videos. They will be available inside the Facebook group Life Passion and Business. Please click the link and join the group. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the show

Episode 19: Shari Teigman Leading a Maverick Life of Mindset & Magic

My guest on the programme is a Maverick, and she has always been that way including the time when life did not allow for that expression.

Shari is a mindset coach and creative strategist. She is there to defrag the brain when you are stuck. She helps people find their unique path in all areas of life and wellbeing.

But she did not start this way. Her current success is the product of 12 years of hard and intense work.

Born into a Jewish community just outside New York. She followed the plan as she knew it and became the stay at home mum.

But, while it may have been pretty on the outside, and the maverick was screaming and urging her to break free.

Freedom comes with a cost, but the prize is worth having, we get to hear that story.

It is a journey that has given her some fantastic tools and allowed her to develop a unique zone of genius. She helps people to find the creative spark, inner drive and individuality. All of the attributes need to fuel success meaning and fulfilment.

She does the deep work right alongside her clients she is not afraid of walking into the dark places. For Shari, every person has the potential to uncover and rediscover whom they once were before they lost their spark.

Now listen carefully because this New York girl talks quick
I hope you enjoy that conversation with Shari Teigman

Episode 18: Alistair McGill, The Creative Accountant and Disrupter living to the Max.

It would be right to say that this weeks guest does not sit about. I am not sure if he was always a man on a mission, but Alastair McGill is driven.

Although a trained and qualified as an accountant, he does not answer to that label. When pushed he says he was a creative accountant, but in truth, he is so much more.

He is a competitive runner and believes in living life to the max; there have been highs and lows. Making money and losing money.

But he is never short of ideas; some come small hours or when pounding the streets at 5 am, training for the next race.

Unlike many of my guests he has never lost his passion, and for him, it does not feel like hard work. He is always busy and loves thinking of creative ways to be disruptive.

“Why does it have to be that way?”

His businesses ( yes multiple) and life reflects his values and beliefs. He does not conform to industry stereotype. You could never call him a boring accountant.

He takes the modern approach that breaks boundaries where ever he goes he looks to create a positive, dynamic and fun environment for clients and staff alike.

Ali is all about compassion, empathy, about treating people well. If I was going to apply a label to what he is and does, he is an accountant, designer and educator. Yes even without university degree he was asked to be a course lecturer.

Currently, he helps organisations to work together, to create better companies.

I hope you enjoy the conversation with Ali McGill

Episode 17: Danny Clarke Bucking the System and Living the Dream

Since the beginning of the years, I have learnt lots on this podcast journey. What I have discovered is that meaning and living a good life is available to all of us. My guests are living proof. But how do you and I get there?

I am stepping up and taking the journey, and I would like you to come with me. You will discover more on the programme or by joining the email list at life Passion and Business .com 

This week's guests is a young family man who is living the dream with his wife Liz and their 3 Children. Does that sound corny and what do I mean by young. At my age anyone under 40 is young.

Danny Clark is in his 30th year and to some extent, he has done all of the traditional life journey and found it wanting. He felt controlled and unhappy.

On leaving education, he became a council surveyor, he did well and that could have been a job life, but the routine ground him down. It was the start of the feeling of being controlled and unhappy. His solution was to quit and go travelling.

They say travel broadens the mind and in this case, it was true, it changed his thinking. On his return, he went back into the world of work.

He explored estate agency, Insurance, Recruitment and eventually, he entered the financial services industry.

Somewhere on that journey he got married and had three children.

Life was good, he had over ten years of experience in the direct sales and achieved considerable success both personally and professionally.

But he and Liz had a dream of a different life with more freedom; they saw an opportunity in Multi-Level Marketing.

Before you groan, this is not a pitch for MLM or a particular company; it is the story of how they bucked a system that did not want to be bucked.

Danny and his wife Liz achieved huge success in the MLM industry, earning multiple incentives and being recognised as being in the top 1% of the company.

They did this by dumping the usual routine and using normal business practice. The company hated them for not following the system and pushed them out.

Not wanting to lose what they had gained Danny and Liz used the techniques they had developed to build an online coaching system for people in the MLM space.

In the last 12 months alone he has personally recruited 624 members to join his coaching programs.

Using the power of online platforms and social media Danny and Liz have created an income that is not bound by their location. After many years of feeling controlled and being unhappy. He is now living the dream and travels the world full time with his wife and family.

Episode 16 Carla Young, Technical Writing & Building a Business in Her Pajamas

Carla Young is a twitter connection from the time when people had conversations on the platform. It is still possible to have conversations there but that is another topic. I have followed Carla on various platforms and have always appreciated her dry wit and sharp writing. 

She is a freelance technical writer, maybe there is a theme here I did not realize that so many of my connections were In the text writing business.  What comes over in our conversation it that Carla has designed her business to fit in with her life. She does not really compromise if it does not fit it goes. 

She is living proof that women can have it all – and then some –  She has built multiple businesses on a virtual work-at-home model, and is an example to anyone looking to start a lifestyle business.

During her early days as a mother and entrepreneur, by her own admission, she made every mistake in the book and a few new ones for good measure.

She realized that “doing it all” was unhealthy and unsustainable.  So she started by getting organized to the extreme, developing support systems for both her work and family.

Carla is a writer for hire in the technical space, she can make your pipes or sprockets shine and sound interesting. However, at the time of our conversation, she was on a writing sabbatical from the technical stuff, taking time out to complete a work of fiction.   As you will hear it is a different process, but at 75,000 words project is well on the road to completion.

In her own words she is a “badass and does things her own way” I hope you enjoy my conversation with Carla Young. 

Episode 15 Russell Dalgleish Serial Scottish Entrepreneur and Investor, Strategist and Innovator

My Guest today is Russell Dalgleish he is a serial Scottish entrepreneur and investor. He is known as a strategist and innovator. In reality, he is a technician and a project manager, he looks at the world through that lens, using those principles to run his life very successful.

He is an advisor to business and governments, and it often called on by the media to comment on business issues.

From the beginning, Russell developed an interest in technology and it has allowed the development of a successful international career in the technology sector.

He focuses his efforts on supporting owners and the boards of small and medium-size companies to devise and implement growth strategies to create shareholder value.

His portfolio business accomplishments is extensive, if there is a list of businesses influencers, then Russell will be in the top 100 or just outside of it. If you want to his full biography, please check the podcast website, as it there too much to list in this introduction.

My interest in Russell is what drives him, he is fiercely competitive and has been on my podcast radar for a while. I was delighted that he trusted me enough to say yes.

During our conversation, we explore my usual questions, and in return, he put me on the spot.

He has a view on success and the meaning of life, he also has the formula and gives the suggestion as to how you might discover your own.

As ever I hope you enjoy the conversation enough to share it.